I hadn’t been to Santa Claus, IN since 1995!! I showed you the proof in this Instagram post. The idea of taking my kids there 23 years later was AWESOME. This week we had the chance to go. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew the kids would be excited about a road trip.

From St. Louis, Santa Claus, IN is an easy 2 hours and 45 minutes. We left after work and arrived late on Thursday night. We had reservations at Lincoln Pines Lakefront Resort. The good news about these places are that they are all locally owned and adorable!

The kids were so excited to sleep on the futon and murphy bed. When they woke up we got a little better view around the place and what we saw was even more adorable. Perfectly low key but all the things need to make memories.

After a little early morning exploring and breakfast, we got packed up and headed out.

Did you know there’s more to Santa Claus, Indiana than just Holiday World? YES! Just down the street is Lake Rudolph. A scenic lake equipped with all the things that help families make memories!

Lake Rudolph is the perfect place for families big and small. They have their own water park, Holiday Cabins and golf cart rentals!!

And if you want to get a little educational, Santa Claus has you covered too? Did you know Abe Lincoln’s childhood home in Lincoln City, IN is less than 5 miles from Holiday World? You can tour a typical home, explore the Memorial and hike the grounds.

If you’re really feeling the Christmas Spirit, you can head into town and hit up the Santa Claus Christmas Shop. You can shop for ornaments, see light displays and maybe even partake in a few of Mrs. Claus’ Christmas goodies!

And don’t forget…

Holiday World

The park offers free parking so we took advantage. Before we went to the water park (Splashin’ Safari) We rode some rides and explored the park.

After taking the obligatory picture with Santa we started off. This park is great. Very laid back but with all the goodies. Did I mention they have free ice, beverages and sunscreen? My kids don’t drink soda so I thought the beverage thing may not matter but they had plenty of water, lemonade and Gatorade (which I let them drink because it was SUCH a hot day). YES!!

After enjoying the Christmas music that was playing the kids decided to ride the old fashioned cars in the Fourth of July section. Oh yeah, the park is divided by holiday (how cute is that)

Christmas

4th of July

Thanksgiving

Halloween

We rode a few more rides with really reasonable lines and then took off for Splashin’ Safari! The water park is SO much bigger than I remember it being. They had something for everyone! MiniE loved the water playgrounds like Kima Bay and Monsoon Lagoon. E loved the bigger slides and the Bahari Wave Pool.

We were so busy we almost forgot to eat. The one thing I would do differently next time is splurge on a Cabana rental. They looked so cozy and the guaranteed shade would’ve been well worth it.

Either way, we had a fun filled day. I had to pry the kids out of the park so we could head home. Next time we’ll plan for another day or two. There’s so much to do in the area surrounding Holiday World, I would’ve loved to explore a little more.

So if you’re thinking your family needs a little getaway, don’t over look Indiana! There’s so much to do!

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Disclaimer

I am not a licensed medical professional. All views expressed on this website are based on my own personal research and experiences. Please consult your doctor with any medical issues, or before beginning a training program.